Windows 8

Mac OS X might be a favorite among some consumers, and the enthusiast community cant get enough of Linux, but when its all said and done, its Windows that the vast majority of the world cares about. Microsoft made that abundantly clear at BUILD last week when it showed off Windows 8. The operating system comes with a neat new design and could very well set the new benchmark for how all other operating systems are judged. If Microsoft wasnt the most important firm in the industry, Windows 8 wouldnt matter much. But Microsoft is important, and Windows 8 matters more than any other OS.

Much has been made about Microsoft's decline in the technology industry. The critics around the industry say that the software giant is on its way out. Companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook are now the dominant firms. And Microsoft, once the de facto leader in the marketplace, has been relegated to an also-ran position. But at the BUILD Conference in early September, Microsoft made it abundantly clear to all who would listen that this is not the case. Windows 8 looks to be a major step up over anything the company has done in recent memory with its signature operating system. And with ARM's help, the software giant might just be a top force in the mobile space in the coming years. While it's true that Microsoft is no longer the only major, dominant company in the IT business, it's also still true that the software giant matters more than any other firm. Microsoft is still catering to billions around the globe with Windows, it powers the world, thanks to its solutions' widespread use across the enterprise and government, and perhaps most importantly, when the company speaks, every competitor listens. Here, eWEEK looks that why Microsoft still matters most in the tech space.

Don Reisinger is a freelance technology columnist. He started writing about technology for Ziff-Davis' Gearlog.com. Since then, he has written extremely popular columns for CNET.com, Computerworld, InformationWeek, and others. He has appeared numerous times on national television to share his expertise with viewers. You can follow his every move at http://twitter.com/donreisinger.